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State legislative districts will also shift

Kathrine SchmidtStaff Writer

Published: Thursday, February 24, 2011 at 11:41 a.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, February 24, 2011 at 11:41 a.m.

RACELAND — Louisiana stands to lose a congressional seat because its population growth lagged behind the nation as a whole. But when it comes to redrawing the lines for the state Legislature, the Houma-Thibodaux area stands to gain clout because its 7 percent population growth was among the faster rates in Louisiana, state lawmakers said Wednesday.

That doesn’t mean the process will be politically easy, particularly when historical population centers like New Orleans that have decreased will likely have to give up seats to faster-growing areas like Baton Rouge and Lafayette.

Still, “it’s a good problem to have,” said state Rep. Damon Baldone, D-Houma, who spoke as part of a panel on the subject at a luncheon hosted by the Lafourche Chamber of Commerce the El Cajun La Mex restaurant in Raceland. “There’s more chance of having another rep in the future.”

Every 10 years, lawmakers must redraw voting districts for federal, state and local offices according to updated population data from the U.S. Census.

In Louisiana, the new house districts must be within 5 percent of the “ideal population” of 43,174. Most of those lines are expected to remain similar, but the population gains in Terrebonne and Lafourche may help consolidate districts in the area that were previously more spread out over parish lines.

The districts represented by Baldone in Houma and Rep. Jerry “Truck” Gisclair, D-Larose, are in excess of the ideal population, but within the limits allowed.

But the districts represented by Rep. Gordon Dove, R- Houma, and Rep. Dee Richard of Thibodaux, who has no party affiliation, are over the limit by about 10,000 and 5,000 people respectively, meaning each will need to shed voters.

State Rep. Joe Harrison, a Republican who represents Morgan City and parts of northern Terrebonne and Assumption, said it’s likely many of those people may be shifted into his district, which is 402 people under the “ideal population.”

Figuring out the new state senate boundaries may be far more contentious, said state Sen. Norby Chabert, who represents Terrebonne and Lafourche.

“All those areas that grew in population are really on top of each other,” he said, jokingly likening the situation to a “clown car.”

Both of the state senate districts represented by Chabert and Butch Gautreaux are well over the ideal population figure of 116,240, with Gautreaux’s district in St. Mary and Terrebonne over by 13,175 people and Chabert’s district in Terrebonne and Lafourche over by 6,905.

One scenario would shift the zone represented by Gautreaux to the east, combining north Terrebonne, part of north Lafourche now represented by Sen. Joel Chiasson and part of Assumption Parish, Chabert said.

Such a scenario could effectively give Terrebonne and Lafourche voters two senators of their own instead of being divvied up between three districts.

The panel, which also included Gisclair and Harrison, also discussed the reapportionment for congressional seats, a process in which Louisiana is virtually assured of losing a congressional representative.

Chabert said he believes it unlikely that parts of Terrebonne or Lafourche will get lumped into a New Orleans district. It wouldn’t be to the political benefit U.S. Rep. Cedric Richmond, who represents the majority-black and historically Democratic area, to expand into the more-Republican Houma-Thibodaux area, the politicians said.

<p>RACELAND — Louisiana stands to lose a congressional seat because its population growth lagged behind the nation as a whole. But when it comes to redrawing the lines for the state Legislature, the Houma-Thibodaux area stands to gain clout because its 7 percent population growth was among the faster rates in Louisiana, state lawmakers said Wednesday.</p><p>That doesn't mean the process will be politically easy, particularly when historical population centers like New Orleans that have decreased will likely have to give up seats to faster-growing areas like Baton Rouge and Lafayette.</p><p>Still, “it's a good problem to have,” said state Rep. Damon Baldone, D-Houma, who spoke as part of a panel on the subject at a luncheon hosted by the Lafourche Chamber of Commerce the El Cajun La Mex restaurant in Raceland. “There's more chance of having another rep in the future.”</p><p>Every 10 years, lawmakers must redraw voting districts for federal, state and local offices according to updated population data from the U.S. Census.</p><p>In Louisiana, the new house districts must be within 5 percent of the “ideal population” of 43,174. Most of those lines are expected to remain similar, but the population gains in Terrebonne and Lafourche may help consolidate districts in the area that were previously more spread out over parish lines.</p><p>The districts represented by Baldone in Houma and Rep. Jerry “Truck” Gisclair, D-Larose, are in excess of the ideal population, but within the limits allowed. </p><p>But the districts represented by Rep. Gordon Dove, R- Houma, and Rep. Dee Richard of Thibodaux, who has no party affiliation, are over the limit by about 10,000 and 5,000 people respectively, meaning each will need to shed voters.</p><p>State Rep. Joe Harrison, a Republican who represents Morgan City and parts of northern Terrebonne and Assumption, said it's likely many of those people may be shifted into his district, which is 402 people under the “ideal population.”</p><p>Figuring out the new state senate boundaries may be far more contentious, said state Sen. Norby Chabert, who represents Terrebonne and Lafourche.</p><p>“All those areas that grew in population are really on top of each other,” he said, jokingly likening the situation to a “clown car.”</p><p>Both of the state senate districts represented by Chabert and Butch Gautreaux are well over the ideal population figure of 116,240, with Gautreaux's district in St. Mary and Terrebonne over by 13,175 people and Chabert's district in Terrebonne and Lafourche over by 6,905.</p><p>One scenario would shift the zone represented by Gautreaux to the east, combining north Terrebonne, part of north Lafourche now represented by Sen. Joel Chiasson and part of Assumption Parish, Chabert said.</p><p>Such a scenario could effectively give Terrebonne and Lafourche voters two senators of their own instead of being divvied up between three districts. </p><p>The panel, which also included Gisclair and Harrison, also discussed the reapportionment for congressional seats, a process in which Louisiana is virtually assured of losing a congressional representative.</p><p>Chabert said he believes it unlikely that parts of Terrebonne or Lafourche will get lumped into a New Orleans district. It wouldn't be to the political benefit U.S. Rep. Cedric Richmond, who represents the majority-black and historically Democratic area, to expand into the more-Republican Houma-Thibodaux area, the politicians said.</p>